Surgical sling



March 3, 1959 D. c. MESSER 2,875,754

SURGICAL SLING Filed July 5, 1956 INVENTOR. $444.48 6. MEssER BY 610.444, 54am United States Patent SURGICAL SLING Dallas C. Messer, Minneapolis, Minn. Application-I 11) 5 1956, Serial No. 595,987

2 Claims. c1. 12 -94 The invention herein has relation to a hanging bandage, commonly known as a surgical sling, to be suspended about the neck and employed as a support for the shoulder, arm and; hand of a wearer. The object of the invention is, to provide a surgical sling incorporating novel and improved, features and characteristics of construction.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a surgical sling made according ts ha nvs t aa h n aiml s l-v s u Fig. 2 is an, enlarged. sectional view, taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is. an enlarged sectional view, taken on line 3-3 in Fig. l.

A hanger strap of the surgical sling, to be suspended about the neck, is denoted 10, and a supporting cradle of said surgical sling, for receiving the elbow, forearm and hand, is indicated 11. In Fig. 1 of the drawing, the surgical sling is disclosed as when applied to the left arm of a wearer. It will become apparent that application to the right arm can be accomplished merely by reversal of parts. In use the surgical sling will be in supporting relation to the shoulder, arm and hand.

The hanger strap 10 is constituted as an elongated strip of flexible, unstretchable material an intermediate portion of which is to be placed about and rested upon the rear of the neck and also rested upon upper portions of the body adjacent opposite sides of the neck, and opposite end portions, or suspenders, represented 12 and 13, respectively, of which are to extend downwardly of and be rested against the front of the body, the suspender 12 being at the left side and the suspender 13 being at the right side of the vertical center of the wearer in Fig. l.

The supporting cradle 11 is constituted as a piece, or connected pieces, of flexible, unstretchable material shaped or formed to receive the elbow, forearm and hand of a wearer. A longitudinally curved elongated base 14 of the supporting cradle is to be engaged by lower surfaces of the forearm and hand, an upwardly extending, interior end length 15 of said supporting cradle is to be situated at the inner side of the forearm in engaged relation thereto, between the forearm and body, an upwardly, extending exterior end length 16 of the supporting cradle is to be situated at the outer side of the forearm in engaged relation thereto, and an upwardly extending, intermediate, rearward length 17 of said supporting cradle is to be situated exteriorly of, about and in engaged relation to the elbow, all as disclosed in the drawing. As shown, the opposite side edges of the elongated base 14 merge into lower edges of the interior and exterior end lengths 15 and 16, respectively, the rearward edge of said elongated base merges into the lower edge of the intermediate, rearward length 17, and the rearward edges of said interior and exterior end lengths merge into the opposite side edges, respectively, of said intermediate. rearward length. The supporting cradle is open at its upper side and forward end, the open, upper side of said supporting cradle being bounded by the upper edges of 2,875,754 Patented. Mar- :3, 11959 the interior and exterior end lengths 15. and. 16,. and. the upper edge of the intermediate, rearward length 17, and the open, forward end of the supporting, cradle being bounded by the forward edge of the elongated. base. 14 and the forward edges of said interior and exterior end lengths 15 and 16. In practical. use of surgical slings. it is desirable that the hand project forwardly from the cradle, as in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The lower end of the suspender-12 is fixedly secured, as at 18, to the upper edge of the, exterior end length 16 at a location considerably closer to the intermediate, rearward length 17 than to the forw-and end. of said sup.- porting cradle. A loop 19 upon the upper edge of the interior end length 15, in alinement with the suspender 12 transversely of the supporting cradle, pivotally supports a, rectangular eye piece 20., desirably of, rigid material, situated upon a lower portion of; said last, men,- tioned suspender, above the connection 18 for upward and downward sliding, movement.

The forward end of the upper edge of the exterior end length 16 supports a loop 21, and the lower end portion of the suspender 13 is adjustably secured to. said loop 21 by a buckle 22. A loop 23. upon the. upper edge of the interior end length 15, in alinement with the suspender 13 transversely of the supporting cradle, pivotally supports a rectangular eye piece 24, of rigid material, situated upon a lower portion of said suspender 13, above the buckle 22, for upward and downward sliding movement.

A surgical sling constructed as herein illustrated and described can be readily and easily adjusted to be fitted to the arm of a wearer. The hanger strap 10 can be made longer or shorter, thus to lower or raise the supporting cradle 11, by longitudinal adjustment. of the lower end portion of the suspender 13 in the buckle 22. The supporting cradle can be supported in horizontal position, or to slant upwardly and forwardly, or downwardly and forwardly, merely by sliding the hanger strap upon the wearer to alter the relative lengths of the suspenders 12 and 13. The interior and exterior end lengths 15 and 16 can be made to lie closer to each other or farther apart, thus to adjust the size of the cradle in transverse direction, merely by sliding the rectilinear eye pieces 20 and 24 upwardly along the suspenders 12 and 13, respectively, when said cradle is to be made wider and downwardly along said suspenders when the cradle is to be made narrower. It will be obvious that: the surgical sling when in use will support the shoulder, arm and hand of a wearer.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, the forearm of the wearer of the surgical sling is substantially horizontal and the upper arm is vertical. The intermediate, rearward length 17 is snugly engaged against and about the elbow, and the shoulder, forearm and hand are stably supported. Supposing it desirable to support the wearers arm in such position that the upper arm extends downwardly and inwardly and the forearm extends obliquely upwardly at a greater or less angle, this can be done merely by making appropriate adjustment of the length of the hanger strap and its position upon the wearer to vary the relative lengths of the suspenders 12 and 13.

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical sling comprising an elongated strip of material including an intermediate portion to be placed about and rested upon the rear of the neck and also rested upon upper portions of the body of a wearer of the surgical sling adjacent opposite sides of the neck, said elongated strip also including opposite end portions providing first and second suspenders to extend downwardly of and be rested against the front of the body, a supporting cradle of flexible material for receiving the elbow, forearm and hand, said supporting cradle being constituted as an elongated base to be engaged by a lower surface of the forearm, an upwardly extending, interior end length to be situated attthe inner side of the forearm in engaged relation thereto; between the forearm and body, an upwardly extending, exterior end length to be situated at the outer side of the forearm in engaged relation thereto and an upwardly extending, intermediate, rearward length to be situated exteriorly of, about and in engaged relation to the elbow, a lower end of one of said suspenders being secured to a rearward part of an upper edge portion of said exterior end length, means adjustably securing a lower end portion of the other of said suspenders to a forward part of an upper edge portion of said exteriorend length, a first eye piece attached to an upper edge portion of said interior end length and slidably situated upon said first suspender, and a second eye piece attached to an upper edge portion of the interior end length and slidably situated upon said second suspendent 2. A surgical sling comprising an elongated strip of inaterial including an intermediate portion to be placed about andrested upon the rear of the neck and also rested upon upper portions of the body of a wearer of the' surgical sling adjacent opposite sides of the neck, said elongated strip also including opposite end portions providing first and second suspenders to extend downwardly of and be rested against the front of the body, a supporting cradle of flexible material for receiving the elbow, forearm and hand, said supportlng cradle being constituted as an elongated base to be engaged by a lower surface of the forearm, an upwardly extending, interior end length to be situated at the inner side of the forearm in engaged relation thereto, between the forearm and body, an upwardly extending, exterior end length to be situated at the outer side of the forearm in engaged relation thereto and an upwardly extending, intermediate, rearward length to be situated exteriorly of, about and in engaged relation to the elbow, said supporting cradle being open at an upper side and forward end thereof, said open, upper side of said supporting cradle being bounded by upper edges of said interior and exterior end lengths and the upper edge of the intermediate, rearward length and said open, forward end being bounded by the forward edge of said elongated base and the forward edges of said interior and exterior end lengths, a lower end of one of said suspenders being secured to a rearward part of an upper edge portion of said exterior end length, means securing a lower end portion of the other of said suspenders to a forward part of an upper edge portion of said exterior end length for longitudinal adjustment of said last mentioned lower end portion whereby to alter the length of said elongated strip, a first eye piece attached to an upper edge portion of said interior end length and slidably situated upon said first suspender, and a second eye piece attached to an upper edge portion of the interior end length and slidably situated upon said second suspender.

, Wermuth Jan. 3, 1911 Bugge May 20, 1919 

